DIY Studded Leather Card Case

This card holder is made of the best black leather – it just feels super luxe. It’s Leather Factory brand leather that I purchased at my local craft shop! I made this studded card holder because I wanted to make a downtown version of my DIY Business Card Case for holding my ID, credit cards and cash on a night out. Also, I’m addicted to leather. And studs.

I made a modified pattern of my business card case, used chalk to mark it on the back side of the leather and cut it out. The changes I made were to extend the front flap so it came down flush with the bottom of the case and had rounded corners. I also changed the inside slightly to make a curve that was lower in the center and higher on each side instead of the opposite as I did in the original case. If you are interested in a scanned copy of my pattern just leave a comment and I’ll be happy to send it to you. I folded up the inside pocket and used leather cement to secure it. To keep it from unfolding while drying I used a few binder clips – they work perfectly.

After that I made a paper grid (barely visible above on the left) to ensure the metal rivets would be evenly spaced. When I made the Studded Suede Pouch I just got started and hoped it all lined up in the end but since these pieces were round instead of square I decided I needed a plan. I used a ruler to draw a grid of lines that were each about 3/8″ apart and then punched through all the intersections and marked them on the wrong side of the leather. Then I used my leather punch to make the holes. At this point I actually thought the perforated leather looked pretty cool and was tempted to leave it that way or use embroidery floss to make some kind of crazy design.

But I couldn’t give up on my rivets… they’d never forgive me! First I inserted all of them into the leather and then I set them. The final result is super cool looking and the weight of the rivets is enough to keep the wallet closed securely.

Here’s my new shoes and card case waiting patiently for their night out on the town.

I love this!! Could you email me the scanned pattern?? Also, what thickness and type of leather do you use? I am new to leather DIY’s and am confused by all of the different types of leather (deer, calf, pig, cow, etc.) and the various thickness’s.

Thanks for your help!! I am obsessed with your DIY’s they look so professional!

I wish I could better answer your question about leather types. I usually buy my leather in person so that I can really look at it and feel it, because I know how I want it to feel. If you have a Tandy Leather store near you, try and go there. They’ve been very helpful to me. (See also: http://www.dismountcreative.com/what-youll-find-at-tandy-leather ) This DIY is about a year old so I’ll have to poke around and see if I can come up with the pattern. Thanks for your kind words!